Snow Days: A Christmas AU
by caffinate-me
Summary: Detective Kate Beckett and mystery novelist Richard Castle are both on their way home to New York when their flight gets rerouted, but worse things could happen than being stranded in Montana for Christmas. Right? A Christmas AU set around the season 3/4 time frame.
1. Chapter 1

Snow Days: A Christmas AU

Chapter 1

"What do you mean you're going to be late?" Kate Beckett held out a hand in silent apology when her carry on banged into the shoulder of an unsuspecting first class passenger.

" _An opportunity came up. Whitman could do it but it's the surgery of a lifetime and I said…"_

She adjusted as best she could in the narrow aisle, phone pressed to her ear. An impatient throat behind her, and she started again her toward her seat only to stumble over an outstretched foot.

"Watch it!" She snapped, eyes narrowing at the perfectly groomed man in the seat to her left. Her attention turned back to the call when her boyfriend's voice filtered through again.

" _What?"_

"No, not you. This jackass had his foot in the aisle."

Kate pushed her way to the back of the plane and shoved her bag into the overhead compartment. She stared at her seat in the middle of the row and sighed. Of course. The man wedged next to the window was sweating through his wool Christmas sweater. She had already nearly missed her flight due to traffic and TSA, not to mention this latest disagreement with her boyfriend. Maybe she would get lucky and the aisle seat would be vacant.

Josh," Kate continued once she was settled next to Christmas Sweater. "I cut my visit with my dad in LA short because you said you wanted to spend Christmas with me."

" _This is important, Kate."_

"And I get that. Your work is important and sometimes you get called away, so do I, but it's different when you volunteer for it. I'm just asking you for once please try to make it work. For us."

A body plopped into the seat next to her and Kate groaned. A large bicep pressed into her shoulder and she glanced to the side, catching a glimpse of a navy and red checkered shirt. Plaid Flannel, as her brain had named him, adjusted again, jostling her while he squirmed for his seat belt.

"I have to go. I'll be landing at JFK around three. I really hope you'll be there."

Kate stabbed the "end call" button, her hands falling to her lap and head thumping against the cracked leather headrest in tandem.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Kate's eyes shot open and her head inched around to stare at Plaid Flannel. "Excuse me? Were you listening to my conversation? What the hell?"

"Well, I wasn't so much _listening_ as unintentionally subject to your conversation since we are crammed in here like sardines, or pickles, but I heard it. Yes."

"And you just thought it was your place to butt in?"

"I, um, yes?" He replied, his expression softening.

Kate's retort died on her lips when she peered at his face. He looked familiar… "Wait? Weren't you just in first class?"

"Yes. Yes, I was, and I believe you were the one kind enough to call me a jackass."

Christmas Sweater humphed out a laugh and Kate shot him a look.

"Right. I'm sorry about that, it's been a long morning," she mumbled in apology when she turned back. "But in all fairness you did have your foot in the aisle."

"I was adjusting."

"Well, next time adjust _after_ the passengers have boarded."

"Maybe if you hadn't been on the phone and had been watching where you were going…"

"Are you always this much of a jerk?"

"Are you always this much of a priss?"

The two glared at each other, arms crossed until the flight attendant came over the speakers. Kate faced forward with a huff and pulled the safety pamphlet from the seat back in front of her, studying it a little too hard. It was going to be a long flight.

* * *

Richard Castle sighed at the text message on his phone. Alexis, his teenage daughter, was having a blast skiing with her friends in Aspen for Christmas, and his mother was touring with her latest production. That left him and Gina, his ex-wife and current girlfriend, for Christmas. He sent back a quick affirmative to Gina's question about attending a swanky Christmas party that evening and lifted his hip, sticking his leg out into the aisle, to shove his phone back into his pocket. He would be home from his latest book tour just in time to be shown off as the famous Rick Castle, Master of the Macabre, to all of Gina's friends. Some days he wished he could just be Rick. Normal.

"Watch it!"

Rick let out groan when a pointed shoe collided with his shin. That was going to bruise. He twisted around best he could in his seat to apologize but bit back his statement when the owner of Satan's stilettos murmured into her phone about him being a jackass.

Turning around to face forward again, Castle caught a face full of squirming toddler, the little girl hanging out of her mother's arms and halfway to falling into his lap.

"Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry," the woman holding the blonde tornado voiced over the child's babbling and squealing. "She's a handful today."

"No problem," Rick said with a smile. "I remember those days. Here, take my seat. It's a long flight. There's more space up here in first class."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Thank you so much." The woman gushed. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Castle replied. He hustled out of the seat so the young woman could sit and made quick work of retrieving his bag while the flight attendant directed him to his new seat… Right next to Stilettos. Great. Rick pasted on his most charming smile. There was still time to redeem the situation.

He studied her for a moment out of the corner of his eye: the hunch of her shoulders while she hissed into her phone, the irritated crease in her forehead almost hidden by a curtain of brown hair. She was pretty, had the potential to be beautiful if she weren't so angry.

"Trouble in paradise?" He winced when the words slipped out of his mouth, stifling the air between them. She turned to him with a glower.

"Excuse me?"

Yeah, it was going to be a long flight.

* * *

"Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking."

Kate took a deep breath, dislodging her hand from where it had accidentally clutched Plaid Flannel's forearm instead of the armrest.

"As you are aware, we are experiencing some pretty severe turbulence. Due to weather we are being rerouted and will be landing in Bozeman, Montana. I apologize for the delay but hopefully we will be able to get you back in the air and on to your final destinations shortly."

"Montana?"

"Bozeman?"

"Around the turn of the century, Bozeman was actually the nation's leading producer of peas- fresh and canned. Leading it to be nicknamed the Sweet Pea capital of the nation."

Both Kate and her seatmate's heads turned to look at the man by the window only to have him give them a shrug in reply. "I like trivia."

Kate thudded her head into her seat back. Montana.

* * *

"I'm sorry, ma'am. All flights have been grounded for at least 24 hours, until this storm passes. The next flight for New York is scheduled for tomorrow evening."

"Christmas Eve?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Kate rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Fine. Can't do anything about the weather."

"No, ma'am." The ticketing agent, Cindy, chirped and Kate's teeth sank into her cheek. "Okay, you're all set. If you see John at the end counter he can help you get a hotel room, but the big Christmas festival is going on so you probably want to hurry before everything gets booked."

"Thank you, Cindy."

Kate pushed her way through the throng of angry passengers, to the reservation counter only to collide with a broad muscular back clad in navy and red flannel.

"So we meet again."

"Son of a…" Kate groaned under her breath. She could not get rid of this guy. "Hello again."

"Hi." He greeted before turning his attention back to the young man behind the counter.

Kate took the moment to look around, catching sight of a blonde woman holding a squirming toddler to her right. She did not envy the woman. Traveling during the holidays was hard enough but traveling with a child…

"You're in luck, sir. There is one room left. Last one."

"Only one?" The man asked. "Oh. Well, give it to her." He gestured to the woman with the little girl. "I can rough it for the night."

The blonde turned to him, shock etched on her face. "Really?"

"Really," he replied.

"First your seat on the plane and now this? How can I repay you?"

"Just get that little cutie home for Santa."

"Thank you. Thank you." The woman said and Kate couldn't help but smile.

Once the woman had her reservation, Kate stepped into her vacant spot at the counter. "Are you sure there isn't anything else available?"

"I can check again but everything else said 'no vacancy'," John replied.

John tapped away at the computer keys. "Actually I might have just found one, it's a couple towns over but they just had a cancellation, due to snow ironically. Let me just call them real quick. Betty isn't so great with the computer."

"Does that mean it has _'snow_ vacancy'?" Plaid Flannel quipped from his place next to her while John dialed and Kate let slip an audible groan on an eye roll.

"Yep," John confirmed, holding a palm over the mouthpiece of the landline. "Last one. Do you want me to book it for you?" His gaze bounced between the two of them.

"Oh, we're not…"

"We don't know…"

They both started, and Kate could feel the heat rising up her neck, flushing her cheeks.

"You take it," Flannel stated, smiling at her, blue eyes twinkling. "Like I said. I can rough it for the night."

"No, you should take it. You were here first and you already gave one room away."

"I mean, I guess we could share."

"Share?"

"We are adults."

"I have a boyfriend."

"So do I— a girlfriend. I wasn't implying… Are you always this difficult?"

Kate eyed the rows of hard plastic chairs. "Fine. We can share, but if you so much as look at me wrong I swear I know 37 different ways to incapacitate a man."

"Only 37? I would have expected more from you— I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"Kate." Kate supplied. "Kate Beckett."

"Nice to meet you, Kate. I'm Rick Ca-Rogers."

John handed over the reservation with a smirk. "Enjoy your stay."

Kate glared while Rick beamed back at the man.

She was going to regret this.

* * *

A/N: Peace and joy to all of you this December 2015 and Merry Christmas to those of you celebrating it! Thank you all for being such wonderful readers. Special thanks to Kate Christie, Fembot77 and Airbefore for jumping on the beta train and editing this on such short notice.

This was inspired by the Lifetime Christmas movie Flight Before Christmas (so ALL the fluff). I do not own it or Castle, but these words are my own. This is set in an AU season 3/4 time frame. Enjoy!

Twitter: aspen_musing

Tumblr: aspenmusing


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The taxi ride from Bozeman to the little town of Chipper Valley was made in silence- him fiddling with his phone, dreading the call he would have to make to Gina. His cabmate stared out the window at the mountains. The view was gorgeous— a postcard in the making.

"LA or New York?" He braved the question when the tires hit the cobblestone streets of the little town's historic downtown. If you could call a row of mom and pop shops historic. Apparently in Montana they did.

"Hmm?" She replied, dragging her eyes from the scenery.

He cleared his throat. He had spent the majority of his adult life surrounded by beautiful women. Why did this one make him so nervous? "Are you from LA or New York?"

"Oh, um, New York. Manhattan. You?"

"Same. Manhattan." Castle answered. Kate turned back to the window with a nod, starting another stretch of awkward silence.

"So, why were you in LA?" The cab jolted to a halt just as he finished the question, and she was out the door before she could answer.

"Hi, we have a reservation," Kate greeted the elderly woman at the desk with an easy smile. Rick hadn't been sure she was capable of being genuinely pleasant.

"Oh, of course, dear," the woman answered, brittle fingers flipping through the paper reservation book on the counter. "Here we go. I'm Betty by the way, my daughter and I own this inn."

"I'm Kate," Kate replied, her smile growing and Castle couldn't help but smile too. It was infectious. "And, this is, um, Rick."

"May I just say you two make an adorable couple. I'm sorry to hear about the storm. Were you headed home to visit family for the holidays?"

"Oh, we're not a couple," Castle cut in. "We just met. On the plane."

"Oh, I see." Betty pursed her lips, turning her attention back to the form she was completing with slow cursive strokes.

Kate turned to look at him, merriment dancing in green eyes, a single brow quirked.

"Wow," he mouthed and a smile played at her lips.

"No, what I meant was that we both needed a room and this was the last one available… I have a girlfriend, and so does she… I mean… Help me." The rambling sentence ended on a squeak and Kate snorted, reaching out to take the two skeleton keys from the woman.

Betty hummed in response, the sour expression holding firm. "Of course, dear."

"We're not, I promise. Kate!"

"Oh, just give it up, honey," Kate replied, her arm winding through his. "We're adults afterall."

Kate shot a wink at Betty, tongue pressed against her teeth, and the elderly woman flushed.

"What are you doing?" Castle hissed once they rounded the corner to the stairs and Kate dissolved into laughter. "You're going to give Betty a heart attack and now she thinks we're promiscuous cheaters."

"Oh come off it, Rick. You'll never see the woman again in your life. You need to learn to have a little fun."

Castle stopped in his tracks at the top of the stairs, words dead on his tongue. When had he stopped knowing how to have fun?

Kate looked back at him, key poised in the lock of room 12. "Hey, you coming?"

"Yeah," Rick replied with a shake of his head. "Just zoned out for a minute. Tired."

"Early flight," Kate agreed, eyes narrow when he ducked his crystal blue ones from catching her gaze. "Come on let's check out our…" She pushed the door open to reveal one queensized bed and a long dresser topped with a television. "Room."

* * *

Kate stared at the cozy space. No wonder Betty had thought they were there for a romantic retreat. Judging by the look of the room- a bed and not much else, that is exactly what this inn nestled between the snow capped mountains specialized in. With a sigh she pushed through the doorway and placed her small duffle bag onto the bed, her purse falling beside it, before plopping backward onto the pillow.

"And what makes you think you get the bed?"

Kate rose to prop herself on her elbows, her right eyebrow quirked at him. "Excuse me?"

"We split this room fifty-fifty, so why do you automatically get dibs on the bed?" Rick parried, rounding the footboard to plop his bag next to her. His left eyebrow rose toward his hairline to mirror hers, a smile played at his lips. He was enjoying this.

"Dibs? Really? And they say chivalry is dead," she grumbled, rolling her eyes. She swung herself off of the bed to stand with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Nuh uh. No playing the chivalry game here. I'll tell you the same thing I told my daughter when she was eight and came home from school complaining about a boy who wouldn't let her use swing on the playground after she argued that he should let her have it "because she's a girl". You can't pull the 'girl card' if you want equality."

"The girl card?" Kate countered, incredulous.

"Yes— dibs on the bed because you're a woman or not mowing the lawn or taking out the trash because "that's the man's job". Just like I wouldn't refuse to do the dishes or change a diaper because it's a 'woman's job'. You can't just cite feminism and equality until it's no longer convenient for you and then pull the 'girl card'."

"Okay, fine," she replied through gritted teeth. The minute she started to think this guy wasn't all that bad… "What do you propose then? I give you the bed because you're _the man_?"

"No." Rick slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a quarter. "We flip for it. Fifty-fifty chances. Equal."

"Fine. Flip."

Rick nodded, balancing the coin on his thumb. "Call it."

"Tails," Kate called out when the quarter flipped through the air. Both of their eyes trailed it until it landed on the comforter.

"Tails." Rick replied his smile falling while her's grew. "Best two out of three?"

"Nope. You lost fair and square, Ricky." Sauntering around the bed, she reached over and lifted his bag, plopping it onto the wingback chair in the corner. "Equality dictates you get the floor."

"Aw, come on, the floor?" He stomped a foot a couple times, testing the surface. "But it's wood."

"Well, I guess you could always sleep in the tub, but that might be a little more damp." Kate threw a smirk over her shoulder, making her way back to her bag with an extra sway of her hips. Her phone pinged from her purse and she swore softly, all playfulness draining out of her when she lifted it to her ear. "Josh, hi."

" _Babe? Where are you? I got to JFK only to find out all flights have been cancelled."_

"I am so sorry, I meant to call you. I'm in Montana."

" _Montana?"_

"Yeah, apparently there's a big storm, no flights could get through to the east coast."

" _And you just didn't tell me? What the hell, Kate? I gave away that major surgery so I could meet you, and you pull this?"_

Josh's voice filtered through the line and Kate risked a look at the man across the room.

Rick was doing his best to look inconspicuous, turned toward the window, fiddling with his own phone.

"Look, I'm sorry," Kate hissed, turning her back to her companion, shoulders hunched. "Things were crazy once we landed. I needed to book another flight and find somewhere to stay, then we needed to travel two towns over to actually reach the hotel and it's been snowing and I lost track of time. I'm sorry."

Josh sighed. _"No I'm sorry. I was just worried. Wait… we?_ "

Kate winced. "Yeah..." She began with a shaky laugh. "There was only one room left, apparently Christmas is a busy season in Bozeman? So I'm splitting it with someone."

" _Someone?"_

"Yeah… just a guy. Rick."

" _A random guy? Are you serious, Kate?"_

"Am _I_ serious? You have the audacity to get jealous and you're the one asking me if _I'm_ serious?"

" _What are you talking about?"_

"You're the one that takes off for the middle of nowhere every other month for weeks at a time with god knows who and you're worried that I'm going to be unfaithful?"

" _Kate, come on. That's not the same thing and you know it. I go for work…"_

"Yes, and I'm splitting a hotel room with someone so neither one of us had to spend Christmas on an airport floor."

"If it makes you feel better she's making me sleep on the hotel room floor!" Rick called from the corner and Kate shot him a glare.

"Look, I have a flight out tomorrow evening. Meet me at the airport if you want. If not, I'll see you later."

" _Kate,"_ Josh groaned through the line. _"I— I'll see you tomorrow."_

She sighed, shoulders slouched. "See you tomorrow."

Kate turned back around to find Rick peering up at her with one eye. "I wasn't trying to listen I swear. This room just isn't that big."

"It's fine," she mumbled, slumping down on the bed.

"What? No snarky comeback? Now I know you're not really fine."

Kate huffed out a short laugh. "Nothing unusual unfortunately."

"Ah…" Rick replied, coming to a stop in front of her. He gestured to the door at his back. "Look, I don't know about you but I haven't eaten today and I'm starved. I was going to go explore… find an early dinner. Want to join me?"

"Sure," Kate replied with a shrug. "What the hell."

"That's the spirit," Rick shot back with just a little too much enthusiasm, and that time Kate's laugh was in earnest.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"You have a daughter?"

Castle looked up from where he had been trying to decide which picture of fried food on the diner menu looked most appealing.

"Yeah." He smiled. "Her name is Alexis. She's eighteen and she blows me away everyday. I have no clue how two people like her mother and myself could manage to create someone so… perfect."

"Sounds like you love her a lot."

"Of course."

"Is that what you were doing in LA, visiting her?" Kate folded her hands on top of her laminated tri-fold menu, giving him her undivided attention. It was like she actually wanted to listen to what he had to say. It was… nice.

"What? Oh no, Alexis lives with me in New York. I was in LA for a book- ah, work."

"You work with books? Publishing?"

Castle shrugged. It was almost the truth. "Kind of, I'm more of a creative liaison. It's pretty boring."

"Doesn't sound boring."

"So what do you do?" Castle interjected before she could question him further. Once people learned his name, his job– He didn't want to be treated differently.

"I'm a cop."

"Really?" Castle replied, leaning forward on the bench. Old, sticky vinyl cracking under him.

"Yep." Kate nodded, sipping her water. "Detective. Homicide."

"So when you said you know 37 ways to incapacitate a man–"

"I was completely serious." Kate shot him a sly smile before turning her attention to the waitress who had come bustling up, pen poised. "I'll have a bacon cheeseburger please, well done, double fries and a strawberry milkshake."

"And for you, sir?" The young woman asked.

"Same," Castle replied, his eyes never leaving the woman across from him. "We'll roll out of here together."

"So, why were you in LA?" Castle continued once the waitress left.

"I was visiting my dad. He moved there after, ah, for retirement. Said he wanted to experience someplace warm, pick up golf. Of course by retirement, he meant dipping his toe into entertainment law. Work-a-holism runs in the family."

"Law too, apparently. What about your boyfriend, Josh, is it? He a cop also?"

"Yes Josh. And no. Josh is a surgeon."

"Impressive."

"Yeah," Kate murmured. "One would think."

Castle bit back his response and focused instead on the creamy pink milkshake the waitress placed in front of him. It wasn't his place to pry. "Remind me again why we are eating ice cream when it is below freezing outside?"

Kate spooned up a mouthful, smiling around the treat. It was a full smile, one that lit up her face, crinkled at her eyes. "Because it's the only time it feels warm."

"Touché," Castle replied and dug in. He had been right. She was gorgeous when she smiled.

* * *

Kate stared up at the sky, stars already shining even though it was barely past six o'clock in the evening. They had been strolling the town since leaving the diner and she was shocked to discover she was having a pleasant time. Rick was spinning tales about the random couples and families they were passing on the street. The eight year old behind a snow bunker was a CIA operative while his little sister building a snowman was a foreign agent.

"Breeding them young." She hummed, forcing the smile to stay off her lips. As annoying as he was, he was fun. "You have a very active imagination."

"Occupational hazard," he shot back before clamping his lips shut. Huh. She continued to study him, eyes narrow. There was a story there.

She turned to point out another pair with a shake of her head. She hadn't even known the guy for twelve hours. She would never see him again after they landed safely in New York. It was none of her business. "What about them? What do you think? Father and daughter or a young woman with a Santa fetish?"

"Santa fetish for sure." He shot back, his grin growing until his phone buzzed and he let out a sigh. "Excuse me."

"Gina, hi."

Kate strolled over to look in a row of shop windows. Streams of lights and garland flickered back at her. The town did take Christmas seriously. A longing tugged at her gut, it has been a long time since she been excited for the holiday. Her father still wasn't in a festive mood, deciding to forgo acknowledgement of the holiday in favor of a deep sea fishing trip with his buddies. Part of her had hoped spending it with Josh would help. They had even put up a tree.

"What do you want me to do, rent a car and drive through the blizzard?"

Kate ducked her head and shoved her hands into her pockets wandering to the next shop over- a small book store. His conversation wasn't her business anymore than her relationship with Josh was his. She glanced over the titles of the season's bestsellers, only half interested, the majority of her concentration spent on not listening to Rick's side of the call.

"Look, just tell everyone I'm sorry, and we'll have them over for New Years or something. See you tomorrow."

The next installment of the young adult thriller that was all the craze- _now a major motion picture._ Some bodice-ripper romance novel was on the next stand. Kate rolled her eyes. Oh, and the latest Richard Castle novel. Her mother had loved–

"Ahh!" Kate let out a yelp when a cold wet ball splattered between her shoulder blades. She spun around, shivering. Her expression turned to ice when she took in Rick's childlike grin, another perfectly formed snowball in his fist. "What the hell!"

"You're the one who told me I needed to have a little more fun!" He yelled back before lobbing the next snowball at her.

Kate dodged to the right, taking cover behind a bench so she could collect her own ammo. "Oh, you're going down."

Her first shot hit him square in the temple, his answering shriek pierced the air, stopping passing strangers in their tracks. "You're going to pay for that, Detective."

"Bring it."

* * *

They were both shivering by the time they returned to the hotel. Kate's lips a bluish purple smudge around chattering teeth.

"You shower first," Castle prompted when the door to the small room swung open.

"You sure? I did drop a handful of snow down your back."

"I'll be fine for five more minutes. Besides, I'm pretty sure Betty has the heat on 80."

"It is like a sauna in here. Okay," Kate agreed, gathering a few articles from her bag. "Five minutes."

"Take your time."

Castle stripped off his jacket once the door to the bathroom clicked shut and he heard the tap turn on. He slipped out of his winter boots and peeled off his socks next. Warm air blasted from the vent in the floor, making his frozen toes tingle and burn, and he wandered over to the window to look out at the snow covered town. He drew the hem of his flannel shirt from his pants while he took in the way the Christmas lights twinkled off the icicles of the building across the street. He had always thought New York was magical at Christmas time but this truly was a winter wonderland.

His fingers worked methodically down, undoing one button at a time until he could strip the snow-soaked shirt from his shoulders, leaving him in only his damp jeans and allowing the air to warm his bare back and chest.

The shower shut off and Castle tore himself away from the view to grab a fresh shirt out of his bag. He pulled out a plain white t-shirt and a small box tumbled to the ground. He knelt down with a groan, knees and back popping. He was getting too old for the cold. Fishing the box out from under the chair, he shot a look over his shoulder to the closed bathroom door before popping it open to stare at the Tiffany cut diamond ring inside.

"It's a little soon don't you think?" Kate's voice sounded from behind him and Rick spun around.

"What?" He spluttered, his mind unable to move past the impossibly small purple sleep shorts and black tank top she had changed into.

"I mean, we haven't even known each other for a day." Kate continued, but even while she joked a flush was rising up her neck and cheeks, her eyes focused on the ring… or his bare chest.

"Well, what can I say, you had me at "jackass"."

She laughed and shook her head then, padding over lay her wet clothes out to dry.

"You should laugh more." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them and she turned to him with a shy smile.

"I'm trying. Gina's a lucky woman."

"Thanks. I just hope she says yes this time," he countered, wincing, knees crackling, when he stood to shove the ring back in his bag.

"This time? You proposed before."

"Oh, yeah. We were actually married before."

Kate's eyebrows shot to her hairline. "Really? She Alexis's mom? Oh, sorry. You don't have to answer that, that was very personal."

"No, no, it's fine." He motioned between them, gesturing to their lack of clothing. "I'm pretty sure we've crossed the line into personal at this point. No, Gina is not Alexis's mother. She was actually my second wife. We divorced a few years ago and then about a year back we started talking and it was different…"

"Different enough to get remarried?"

"I think so."

She gave him a small smile. "You don't sound so sure."

"Can you ever really be sure?"

Kate shrugged. "With the right person, I think so."

"And Josh, is he the right person for you?"

Her expression turned pensive, lower lip drawn between her teeth. "Not everybody gets the chance at a happy ending, Rick. Especially not a second chance. Hold onto yours." Kate sank down on the bed, her back to him and he took that as his cue to leave.

He leaned back against the bathroom door when it clicked shut behind him and stared at the floral wallpapered wall, her words swirling through his head. Was it any different? His fight with Gina earlier had been a near echo from fights of years past.

He was older, more mature. So was she. But was that enough?

When he exited the bathroom the lights were off and Kate was little more than a lump on the far side of the mattress. He stared up at the ceiling for hours from his pallet on the floor, until the gentle, puffing snores from the woman in the bed finally lulled him to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The room was silent when Kate awoke the next morning. Rolling over, she propped herself on her elbows, blinking the space into focus. White light bounced off the snow outside, streamed in through the window. Rick's bag and bedding were piled neatly on the chair in the corner, the bathroom vacant.

The doorknob rattled and she grabbed for a gun she didn't have. With a curse she leapt out of bed, positioning herself behind the door just as it opened revealing her quasi roommate with a ridiculous blinking Santa hat on his head and a tray of coffee cups in his hand.

"Oh good, you're up!" He chirped, his smile a little too bright.

"I, uh, yeah. Morning," Kate croaked out in response, her throat gummy.

"Good morning," Rick continued, pushing his way further into the room. "I wasn't sure how you took your coffee so I got a few options. Black. Cappuccino. Vanilla latte or chai."

"Um," Kate mumbled, rubbing one hand over her eyes. He was way too awake. "Latte please."

"Excellent choice, madam. And for future reference any answer except chai tea would have been acceptable. I don't trust anyone who doesn't get their morning caffeine jolt from a coffee-based fluid."

"Noted," Kate answered. She sank down on the bed, and lifted the drink to her lips. A moan escaped when the combination of espresso, perfectly steamed milk and vanilla burst on her tongue. "This is sinful."

"Definitely a coffee girl I take it."

"Cop." Kate pointed at herself. "Some stereotypes are true."

"And to think I forwent the donuts."

"Oh well, next time."

"Next time." Rick grinned. "So, what are your plans for today?"

"Oh, I don't know. Flight isn't until four, maybe I'll just poke around town some more. There were a couple shops I wanted to check out."

"Sounds like a good plan. Mind if I join you?"

Kate peered over her shoulder at the man standing nonchalant in a blinking red Santa hat and matching red button down. "Sure." She conceded with an amused shake of her head. "But only if you tell me where you got that ridiculous hat."

"Oh, this old thing?" Rick replied, eyes swiveling up to look at the white fur brim. "I've owned this for years."

"Of course you have."

"Why? You jealous? You want one?"

"Ha! No. I wanted to know so I can avoid the place like the plague."

"Nah, you're jealous."

Kate pushed herself off of the bed with a roll of her eyes. The man was a child. Still, a smile played on her lips. "I'm going to go change."

* * *

Castle caught glimpse of his own name in the bookstore window and gulped. "Are you sure you want to go in here? It's a bookstore, they have those everywhere. You can even read on your phone now."

Kate cast a glance over her shoulder, her hair cascading out from under a fuzzy wool cap, her gloved hands wrapped around her second caffeine of the day- that damn chai latte. She chose it just to spite him, he knew it.

"For someone who works with books, you seem to have a severe aversion to them."

"Well, you know," Castle continued even while pulling the door open for her. A bell chimed through the cluttered shop. "You don't want to be reminded of work when you're on vacation, do you?"

"And this is a vacation?" Kate's right eyebrow rose toward her hairline.

"What, haven't you always wanted to visit Montana?"

"Not particularly. I'm more of a big city girl."

"Oh, it's not so bad. Hiking and horseback riding in the summer, skiing in the winter."

"Sounds like you know from experience."

Rick shrugged. "I've been around once or twice. Never to Bozeman or Chipper Valley though, this is brand new and enlightening experience."

Kate shook her head and wandered toward the back of cramped shop. There were books and knick knacks scattered on every available surface. Boxes of extra inventory were shoved under tables and on top of shelves.

Castle watched Kate disappear into a cavern of nonfiction and plays before dashing over to the mysteries. Choosing one of his older novels from the shelf he pulled out a pen and quickly jotted down a note. Sliding it back, he pulled down another. Ten random books later he poked his head out of the stacks and spotted Kate by the front display, her hand reaching for one of his hardbacks.

"Richard Castle." He drawled, saddling up behind her. "You like that guy?"

"What's wrong with Castle?" She questioned, glancing at him before turning her attention back to the book, her fingers running over the ridged cover.

"Nothing… if you're into cheesy melodrama and B movie plot lines. I'm more of a Patterson man."

Kate shrugged, placing the book back on the stand. "I wouldn't know. Never been much of a murder mystery girl myself. I live them during the day, so why would I want to go home and read them at night, right? My mom loved them though."

"Loved?" The word slipped out and Castle winced.

"Yeah, she passed away. Twelve years ago." Kate ducked her head, and lifted the book in her hand for him to see. "I should pay for this."

Castle eyed the title of the tome. It was a collection of stories and memoirs from the Civil War. "A little light reading for plane ride home?"

"I'm a history buff," she replied with a shrug.

"That is so hot."

Kate laughed, all trace of melancholy gone. "I'll be right back."

* * *

The inn was bustling when they returned to gather their luggage and check out of the room a few hours later.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Betty. You are looking ravishing today if I may say so myself," Rick gushed when he sidled up to the reservation counter. "Kate and I need to check out, and would it be possible for you to call a car to take us to the airport?"

Betty flushed but still tsked at him with a twitch of her fingers. "You city boys are all the same, Mr. Rogers, but unfortunately your flirting will get you nowhere in this case. I just called the airport for another guest and apparently the storm has gotten worse. All flights to the east coast are still grounded until tomorrow morning at the earliest."

"Seriously?" Kate groaned from her place behind him and Betty confirmed with a nod.

"Sorry, dear. Fortunately, your room is still available for tonight so you are welcome to stay."

Rick gave Kate a questioning look and she replied with a tilt of her head. "We'll take it."

Betty made a note in her book and Kate pulled out her phone, shooting off a text. Castle followed suit, risking a glance at Kate when he did. She was bent over her phone, brow furrowed at what she was reading. Gina would not be thrilled, but at least he didn't have to leave… Montana… yet.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"So—"

Kate turned from her place staring out the window when Rick came bustling into their room an hour later.

"I spoke to Allison, Betty's daughter, lovely woman. She said the town has a big to-do tonight— a tree lighting ceremony complete with food trucks and carnival games. I thought it might be nice to check it out. Would you like to join me? There is a rumor of giant turkey legs- the size of your head."

He put his hands up around his face in emphasis and Kate forced a small smile.

"Yeah, sure. How could one possibly say no to that much dark meat?"

Rick paused, fingers pressed against his lips. "I'm going to let that one pass because it's Christmas and I am a gentleman."

"Sure you are."

"You said it, not me."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She shoved her phone into her back pocket along with it the dark cloud that had been hanging over her head since she had hung up with Josh. "I was just talking about turkey legs."

"Of course you were."

"Come on, Rick. Let me kick your butt at ring toss."

"Kick _my_ butt? In your dreams, detective. I'll have you know I am the reigning ring toss champion of the Marlowe Prep- Alexis's school- spring festival. Those five year olds were very impressed."

Kate pressed her lips together, forcing herself to keep a straight face. "You talk a big game, but I don't believe it. If you're nice I might win you a teddy bear."

"Not if I win you one first."

"Oh, it's on."

* * *

"Oh no," Kate shook her head when Rick stopped in front of the booth. Ring toss had ended in a 0-0 draw. "We're not playing this one."

"Why not?" Rick whined. "It's a shooting game, you're a cop. It's a given."

"I just…" Kate paused, shuffling one boot clad foot in the powdery snow. "I can't do it. It just wouldn't be fair to you."

A smile blossomed across her lips and Rick huffed when she bent over laughing.

"Oh ha ha. Very funny. You want to play at that game? Fine. I am going to kick your butt."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Handing the vendor a dollar each, the two took their places side by side at the booth and picked up pellet guns.

"Goal is to hit the center of the bulls eye with every shot. Five games in a row gets you the bear!" The man in the booth declared and Rick's eyes cut to the giant bear sitting in the corner.

The two shared a look and then with a nod of the head turned to the targets, aimed and fired.

"You cheated. I don't know how, but you did."

Kate hadn't stopped staring at him and his giant plush stuffed animal since they had left the booth. Skeptical eyes studied every inch of him looking for a clue, a tell.

"I did not and I am offended at the implication," he retorted, heaving the giant bear up to keep it from dragging through the snow.

"Come on. I've had the highest marks of _anyone_ on the precinct shooting range for five years running and I barely hit the bulls eye once." She threw back, a tiny stuffed koala clutched in her hand. "Even the proprietor said no one has ever made five in a row before. So just tell me, how did you do it?"

"I don't know," Rick said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. "Must have been Christmas magic."

Kate snorted. "Christmas magic?"

"Yep. Santa, elves, flying reindeer and the like."

"Right."

"That's my story and I'm sticking to it."

Castle looked around, spotting a free picnic table under the crowded tents. "Come on. Dinner's on me."

"You don't have to." Kate protested but Rick just plopped his prize down on one of the benches and shrugged, motioning for her to sit next to it.

"Just keep Nelson company. I'll be back in a minute."

"Nelson?"

"What would you name a four foot tall stuffed bear?"

"Touché." She replied and settled on the bench next to Nelson.

* * *

Kate was playing with the arms of her little stuffed animal when she looked up to spot Rick winding his way back through the crowd. Her mouth fell open. The tray in his hands was piled high with food, flimsy paper boats and plates threatening to buckle under the weight of it all.

"What did you do, buy the whole cart?"

Rick just grinned, placing all the items in front of them like a heavenly deep fried smorgasbord. "Christmas dinner of champions. And for dessert," he continued, brandishing one final Styrofoam carton. "Deep fried Oreos."

"Oh dear lord. Why?" Kate replied, looking at the battered and fried treat with a combination of fascination and horror.

"Because regular Oreos weren't bad enough?" Rick said on a shrug. "Don't question culinary genius, Kate."

Kate reached over and grabbed a pulled pork sandwich, complete with pickles, on the fluffiest potato roll bun she had ever seen, and raised it with both hands. "Cheers."

"Cheers," Rick responded, smiling at her across his plate of sweet potato fries, dipping one in the side of garlic aioli.

They ate in silence, the cheerful chatter from the tables around them and Christmas music from the speakers filling the air.

Kate's phone rang a few minutes later, interrupting their battle for the last corn dog nugget. She was going to gain five pounds minimum from this meal. With a sigh she wiped her fingers on the last viable napkin and picked it up. She considered it for a moment, lips pursed before dismissing the call, setting the ringer to silent and flipping the phone face down on the table.

"Was that Josh?" Rick asked a moment later, the last corn dog held out to her in offering.

"Yep."

"Not going to call him back?"

"Nope."

She popped the nugget into her mouth and averted her eyes, staring past Rick to watch the other patrons. "I broke up with him earlier."

"I-I'm sorry," Rick replied, hands folding on the table in front of him. "You want to talk about it."

"Nope."

"Okay… You want funnel cake?"

Her face broke into a smile and she raised a hand to swipe at her cheek. "How could I say no to funnel cake?"

* * *

The town was still in full swing when they made their way back to the inn a few hours later, Nelson riding comfortably on Rick's shoulders.

"I'm going to stay down here for a little bit, call Alexis and Gina, say Merry Christmas," Rick announced when they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Okay. I'm going to head up," Kate responded, swaying in place. She took in a breath, lips parting but whatever she was going to say was cut off by Allison's voice.

"Oh, look you two! Caught under the mistletoe."

A blush raced up Kate's neck, tinting her skin from her collarbones to the tips of her ears and Rick turned to look at the other woman.

"Oh come on now," Allison continued. "Give her a peck, it's tradition."

Castle turned to look at Kate and at her shy nod ghosted a kiss across her cheek. "Goodnight, Kate."

"Goodnight."

* * *

The room was dark when Rick finally made it up the stairs an hour later, calls to Alexis, Gina and his mother all made, but he paused, confused, at the sight of the crisp bed. He checked under the bathroom door for light but everything was dark, still. He rounded the footboard on his tiptoes to put Nelson in the chair by the window but a squawk echoed through the space when his foot hit something and sent him tumbling.

"What the?"

"Ow! Rick?"

"Kate? Sorry, sorry, are you okay? What are you doing down there?"

"Sleeping," she grunted, blankets rustling when she sat, a faceless dark form moving through the night. "Or at least I was, and yeah I'm fine. You?"

"Yeah, fine. Why are you on the floor?"

"I got the bed last night so I figured you should have it tonight. Wasn't going to make you sleep on the floor two nights in a row."

"Oh— I— thank you."

"No problem," she replied through the dark, the bedding rusting again when she flopped back down.

"I'm going to go change." He announced after a beat but he was only met with silence.

The room was still when he emerged from the bathroom not five minutes later, Kate's breathing the only sound. He crept around, careful to dodge her long legs and crawled into the bed.

"She was murdered. My mother was." He almost missed her voice when it sounded through the dark. "Just after Christmas. The lights were still up… our tree. I haven't celebrated since. Always worked. That's why I became a cop, to find the person who killed her."

Every platitude raced through his mind but died in his throat. "Did you?" He croaked out instead.

"Yeah… Last year. It was a hired hit man. He flipped on his employer, gave him up to live a long and prosperous life in witness protection. I thought it would make me feel better, make this hole go away, or at least smaller…"

"And?" He prompted, matching her volume, unwilling, unable to speak on anything above a whisper.

"And I still locked myself in the bathroom and cried the night Josh surprised me with a Christmas tree. He doesn't get it. Didn't get it. He tried but- I just want a relationship where we're in it together, you know?"

"It takes time."

"Yeah, but we were together for a year and a half and I still couldn't… He couldn't… Maybe it's me; maybe I'm just broken. "

"Not broken. Maybe a little dented, a little bent. But sometimes in life the best things are the ones that have weathered the storms. I hear the vintage look is in now."

She let out a laugh between sniffles and Castle rolled over to lean off the edge of the bed, his head hanging over hers. "You can come up here, you know. It's a big bed. I'll even build a wall of pillows between us."

She peered up at him, squinting through the dim light. "What about equality and the _girl card_?"

"Not all chivalry is dead. I won't tell if you won't."

Giving quick nod she shuffled up, toting two pillows with her. "Just stay on your side. Remember-"

"37 ways to disembowel a man."

"Incapacitate."

"Same thing."

"I would have given you the bed, you know, had I won the coin toss." He added after a beat, once she was settled under the covers.

A smile ghosted her lips and she rolled onto her side, back to him. "Goodnight, Rick."

"Goodnight, Kate."

"Rick?" She whispered minutes later, his eyelids heavy with sleep.

"Yeah?"

"This is the best Christmas I've had in a long time. Thank you."

His eyes gazed over her to the window, warmth spreading through his chest. The glow from twinkling lights dancing in the snow. Nelson kept sentinel over them from the chair in corner.

"Merry Christmas, Kate."

"Merry Christmas."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The ride to the airport the next morning was done in silence, both of them staring out their respective windows at the passing scenery, Nelson strapped in the seat between them. The streets were quiet– shops closed, families gathered in their homes to share love and presents. Castle reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out the small box. He flipped the lid of the box open and closed while he fiddled with it in his lap.

"How are you going to ask?"

Castle's eyes shot over to find Kate regarding him, her head propped in her hand, elbow resting against the door.

"I'm not sure yet. I went big last time, air balloon ride at sunset followed by dinner at one of the city's top restaurants. How can I possibly top that? Helicopter? Jumbotron? Oh! The billboard signs in Times Square, New Year's Eve."

"That doesn't seem extensive to you?"

"Maybe a little but this is a big deal, it has to be done right."

"And right has to mean jumbotron?"

"Okay, what would you want?"

"I don't know." Kate shrugged, turning her head in her palm to stare at the mountains out the window. "But choosing to marry someone is a personal thing, intimate. Everyone doesn't need to know right then. I think a couple should share that moment alone before announcing it to the world. I would want to be asked in a place that's important to both of us, not because it's over the top or flashy."

She turned to look back at him and shrugged. "That's what would make it right to me anyway."

Castle's eyes landed back on the box in his hands. "That actually sounds really nice, not being in the spotlight. Unfortunately, it's not really Gina's style."

"What about your style?"

Castle could feel her eyes on him, burning. Their gaze locked for an instant when he looked over in confirmation. His heart leapt in his chest before he tore himself away to look back down at the ring. "It used to be, but I'm not sure it is anymore."

"Look, Rick," Kate started, her voice low. "I know we've only known each other for a couple of days but it seems to me like before you do anything with that ring, you should figure out what you're sure of."

He looked up in time to see a small smile grace her lips. "What are you sure of?"

Kate let out a deprecating laugh and turned her attention back to the window. "I'm sure that I am going home to an empty apartment with a possible deceased plant in the window. And I am sure that tomorrow I will be back at work trying to find justice for the dead, and Josh will be on a flight to Africa to try to save the living. But I'm also sure that I made the right choice. I'd rather be alone than be with the wrong person just for the sake of being with someone."

The cab rolled up to Bozeman airport and Castle took a deep breath, shoving the box back into his pocket. Those taxi rides were never long enough.

* * *

Ticketing, security and boarding were a haze. The airport was a frenzy of delayed passengers attempting to make it home in time to open presents and enjoy family dinners. Kate settled into her seat in the middle of coach and peaked into the aisle in enough time to catch a glimpse of Rick in his first class seat- his foot sticking into the aisle while he adjusted. She shook her head and sat back, her head flopping against her seat back. Her row mates were quiet– a young couple both ensconced in their respective iPads, a shared pair of earbuds strung between them. Her fingertips tapped the cover of the nonfiction novel she had bought, but her eyes drifted once again to the man seated twenty rows in front of her.

Only when the plane pulled away from the gate, and the flight attendants took their places in the aisles effectively blocking her view, did she flip open the book and start reading chapter one.

* * *

They fell into step with each other when they finally deplaned at JFK, the walk through the terminal to the shuttles done mostly in silence.

"It was nice to meet you, Rick." Kate started once they reached the luggage claim and endless line of taxis, buses and cars waiting to carry passengers to the city. Nelson was already being carried by on the conveyor, suitcases sandwiching him, a luggage tag around his neck.

Rick grasped her outstretched hand in his, their palms kissing for a moment longer than necessary. "It was nice to meet you too, Kate. I have a car waiting, can I give you a ride?"

Kate looked past him to see a tall blonde watching them with interest. "I think you already have someone waiting for that ride."

She jutted her chin at the woman and Rick turned to look in interest. "Gina?"

"Yeah."

"I should go. Catch my train."

Rick nodded, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Until next time, Detective."

"What? Not willing to say goodbye?"

"Until next time is more hopeful."

"Bye, Rick. It was fun." Kate turned with a shake of her head, and made her way to the escalator, following the signs for the train. She peeked back over her shoulder when she stepped onto the moving platform, just in time to see the pair walking out the doors, disappearing into the winter morning. "Until next time."

* * *

The next week passed quietly. December turned into January with Kate curled up on her couch, eyes on the ball dropping in Times Square, a half empty glass of red wine in her hand. No marriage proposals flashed on the screen and Kate smiled despite the pang in her chest. Clicking the TV off, she pushed herself off of the couch and stretched before wandering to her empty bed. Maybe he went for something a little more intimate after all.

Monday morning Kate stepped off the elevator onto the fourth floor of the 12th Precinct with a to-go cup of coffee clutched in her hand.

"Yo, Beckett." Detective Javier Esposito greeted her with a wide smile. "Someone left you a present."

"What you talking about, Espo?"

"Just go look."

Esposito walked over to perch on his desk next to his partner, Kevin Ryan, and Kate eyed them with a glare before turning to spot the giant bear seated in her chair.

"How...?"

"Some guy came in early this morning and left it and a box." Ryan piped up.

"Hey, Nelson," Kate murmured when she sidled up next to her desk, her fingers scratching the stuffed animal's head. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't think he's going to answer you," Javi called.

Kate rolled her eyes and bent over the box, lifting the lid, her brow furrowing at the sight of one of Richard Castle's previous best sellers- Flowers For Your Grave. A neon green post it was stuck to the center.

 _I decided I didn't want to propose._

She cocked her head to the side and lifted the book out of the box, flipping the cover open.

 _Kate. I'm not sure of many things, but I am sure of you. Richard Castle._

"What the…"

"Oh hey, that's the guy." Kate looked up to see Ryan pointing to the back cover of the book. "You know Rick Castle, Beckett?"

"I know…?" Kate flipped the book over and swore under her breath at the familiar face smiling back at her.

"Son of a bitch."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Richard Castle put down his marker and flexed his fingers. Two hours in and the line for the book signing still wound to the door. Not that he had reason to complain. Having a rabid, devoted fan base was his lifeblood, but that didn't help his hand from cramping up a half an hour before.

His eyes scanned the line looking for a familiar face, a specific familiar face, and the smile that had been plastered to his lips faltered when he didn't see it. Her. Kate.

It had been two days since he had left his book for her at the precinct and he had yet to hear a peep. He hadn't expected her to track down his address and show up at his door in the middle of the night professing her love for him, but she was a cop, she could find that information. It wasn't too far fetched. But he had expected something beyond silence.

He pasted the smile back on and waved up the next fan, a young blonde who looked like she couldn't be much older than Alexis. She bounced up to him and held out her copy of his latest bestseller and Castle forced his mind back to the topic at hand.

He looked up an hour later from the signing haze he had fallen into when a book slammed down on the table in front of him.

"What the hell is this?" Green-hazel eyes glared at him, the front section of the line murmuring.

"Uh, my book. Kate. Hi."

"You lied to me, Mr. _Rogers,"_ Kate continued as if he hadn't spoken at all.

"Actually, I didn't. Rogers is my given name, I changed it to Castle when I started writing."

"So what? You decided to have a little fun at my expense? Play a round of fool the detective?"

"How about we talk someplace a little less public?" Castle interjected, peering around Kate to look at the rest of the line. The fans in the front were watching them with interest, some with their phones raised to take pictures. "Would you excuse me for a moment, I need to take a five minute break. Talk amongst yourselves."

He motioned for Kate to follow him when he ducked into the stacks but the murmuring in the line only got louder.

"First of all, I wasn't trying to fool you, I promise. I just didn't want to be _Richard Castle_ for a couple days. In Montana I was just Rick and it was nice."

Kate's chin dropped to her chest and she studied her foot scuffing at the carpet. "Rick, what's going on? Why are you doing this?" She continued, her eyes lifting back to his, and gestured to the book cradled in her arm.

Castle shrugged, hands shoved in pockets. "You said your mother loved them but you had never read them. Thought you might like to take a shot. Plus, I felt kind of bad about not telling you who I was."

"And this?" She opened the book and stabbed a finger at his scrawled note and autograph. "What's this?"

His shoulders lifted in another helpless shrug. She was good at being intimidating when she wanted to be. In Montana he had suspected, but now, back in the context of the city, the detective was shining through. It was hot. "I thought it was romantic."

"Romantic?" Kate's eyebrows shot to her hairline, word fragments stuttering from her tongue. "I– you– but-."

"Kate, I'd forgotten spending time with someone was supposed to be fun, and in Montana you reminded me of that. So, I was hoping we could get coffee."

She blinked. "You broke up with Gina because you like me? After knowing me for two days?"

"No, I broke up with Gina because we weren't right. I'm asking you out because I like you. I'm sorry if that wasn't clear."

"I– no. You're good. Okay. Coffee sounds nice."

"Great." Castle's grin spread wide, Kate's mirroring his, crinkling at the corner of her eyes.

A throat cleared behind him and Rick turned around to see the store manager pointing at his watch with a frown. "I need to go finish signing but I only have about an hour left if you want to hang around."

"Sure. I have the evening off. I'll be–" Kate motioned over her shoulder to the stacks behind her.

"Okay."

"Okay."

Rick shook his head and turned to make his way back to the table, waving up the next person in line. The middle aged woman approached with a broad smile and he couldn't help but smile back when he accepted the book from her outstretched hand.

* * *

Kate wandered the aisles in a daze before finding a quiet corner in the mystery section. Fitting. With a shake of her head she settled to the floor, legs crossed, lip between her teeth. She could hear Rick's voice greeting fans in the distance, the smooth tenor sending a tingle up her spine.

He asked her out. A flush rose up her cheeks. She felt like she was back in high school. She had told him things, things that had scared other men away, but instead of running he had come back. She flipped the book in her hands over and ran her fingertips over the back cover where Richard Castle was smiling back up at her.

" _And your name is?"_

She leaned to the side to peek around the corner, watching the way his back hunched in the chair making the plaid shirt pull tight across his shoulders.

" _Who should I make it out to?"_

Kate's tongue pressed against the back of her teeth. Her mother would have loved to see this, would have just shaken her head and said "I told you so." Johanna Beckett had tried to get her to read Castle's books for years, but adolescent Kate had refused if only on principle and pride. She couldn't possibly like the same books as her mother. And after Johanna's death even looking at her bookshelf had hurt. But now…

She flipped to the first chapter with care, trailing her fingers along the headings, creasing each page at the spine, and let herself get lost in the words.

* * *

Kate smelled the coffee a second before his shadow fell over her. Blinked, she forced her eyes away from the page and her imagination from the car chase so vivid now in her mind.

"Hey," Castle greeted with a smile, holding a cup down to her. "Grande, skim latte two pumps sugar free vanilla."

"How–?"

"It's what you ordered at the airport on Christmas morning."

"That's kind of creepy, Rick."

"I like to think of it as being charmingly observant."

She tapped the the page of the book twice before looking back up at him. "So? Creative liaison, huh?"

"I didn't quite lie. I liaise words from my brain to the page, creatively."

"Right."

"So…" He started gesturing to the book when he settled down next to her. "What do you think."

"It's really good, Rick. I can see why my mom loved them. She would have liked you too."

"And you?" He bumped her shoulder lightly with his.

"Eh. I think you're alright."

"Just alright?"

"Yeah."

"Alright enough to go get some dinner with me?"

She pretended to consider him for a moment, brow creased. "Depends. Are we going to have to flip a coin to see who's paying?"

Castle pushed himself to his feet with a groan before holding out his hand to help her up. "I'm never going to live that down."

"Nope."

"How's Nelson? You taking good care of him?" Castle continued while they walked side by side toward the door.

"Yep. He's kind of become a precinct mascot. The boys got him a badge, prop gun, and everything."

"Really? Could I get a badge?"

"In your dreams, _Castle._ "

Snowflakes started to fall as they exited the store and Rick's arm came up to wrap around her shoulders. "I'm going on a date with you. Obviously, my dreams come true."

The winter air whirled around them, threatening them with the cold, but for the first time in a long time, Kate felt nothing but warmth.

* * *

Epilogue to follow.


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue 

"You know, I wouldn't have to pack so much if you would just tell me where we're going." Kate stared at the open suitcase on her bed, her hands on her hips.

"Or you could just let me pack for you." Rick replied, his head sticking through the doorway to her bedroom. He took quick stock of her luggage. She had everything from bikinis, shorts and hiking boots to a peacoat, long johns, and snow boots.

"Why, so you could pack my lingerie drawer and nothing more?"

"Why would you need more when you have me to keep you warm?" He teased, sliding up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist.

"So we are going someplace cold."

"Kate!" Rick whined, his arms sliding back down her hips. "Stop being so detectivey."

"Detectivey?"

"Yes. It's a word. I just made it up, and as a writer it is my prerogative. Now stop making it impossible to surprise you." He punctuated his statement with a nibble to her neck only to have Kate scrunch her shoulder and bat him away.

"Fine," Kate replied, turning her head to give him a peck on the lips. "Go make us a pot of coffee while I finish packing."

"You're just trying to get rid of me."

"Yes. Yes I am. If I don't finish getting packed in the next half hour we'll miss our mystery flight and if you keep doing that to my neck it'll _definitely_ take more than a half hour." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand, her head shaking at the sight of his pout. "Don't worry I'll keep you plenty warm tonight wherever we are."

Castle smiled when he turned the corner to her kitchen, her words following him across the living room.

"Your mom and Alexis aren't joining us until tomorrow morning right?"

"Right," Castle called back, scooping the coffee grounds into her percolator with precision. "And your dad should be in tomorrow evening."

He looked down at his watch and smiled while the coffee maker gurgled and belched behind him. Almost exactly a year ago to the minute he had been shoving his phone into his pocket on a plane at LAX and Kate Beckett had stumbled into his life. Literally.

"Can you at least give me a time zone? A hemisphere? Something?"

Her frustrated questions rang through the apartment.

"Nope!" He called back, smiling. Messing with her was too much fun.

"Okay, fine, well I hope this brick falls under the weight limit." Kate huffed, dragging the bulging suitcase into the front hall before turning to accept the fresh mug of coffee from her boyfriend.

"It would have been a lot lighter if you had gone with the lingerie plan," Castle replied, eyeing the bag.

"In your dreams, writer boy."

"No, in my dreams you are generally nak-"

Her lips crashed into his, cutting his words off into a mumble.

"See," he continued when they parted, chests heaving. "You like the naked idea as much as I do."

"I just wanted you to stop talking." Kate shot back, leaning lazily against the counter, sipping her coffee, like that heated lip lock hadn't affected her at all. Witchy woman.

"You didn't deny it."

A hum was her only reply when she rinsed her mug in the sink, leaving it on the drying rack to heft her carry-on over her shoulder. "Come on, our mystery adventure awaits. You have everything?"

Castle patted his jacket, and looked at his own bag as he took mental note. Suitcase full of clothes for a fun winter adventure complete with skiing, two first class tickets to Bozeman, Montana in his breast pocket. And…

Oh. He made quick work of looking through his own carry-on while Kate double checked the locks on her windows and unplugged a couple electronics. He had spoken to Betty and Allison to reserve the same room he and Kate had shared the year before at the inn. The perfect setting for an intimate evening before their family arrived the next day.

"You coming, Castle?"

He looked up to see Kate by the door, winding her scarf around her neck, readying herself for the brisk city weather.

He smiled and cast one last look at the small box nestled in his bag. It was the perfect ring. A single square diamond surrounded by a halo of sapphires. Simple. Elegant. Hers. "Always."

* * *

A/N: Thank you to all of you for all of your kind words and flails over this and all of my stories. I am blessed as a writer to have you all as readers and friends. Thank you for an amazing 2015 and here's to an even better 2016! Happy New Year!


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